Tribute

Carl Weathers left an indelible mark on the worlds of sports and entertainment - as an inspirational success story, as a supportive colleague, and as a cherished friend. Weathers passed away on February 1 at the age of 76, leaving scores of fans and friends mourning. Following news of his death, the stars took to social media to remember Weathers and honor his memory. As an athlete, Weathers played for several NFL teams, including the Oakland Raiders, When he shifted gears into acting, he took up physically demanding roles, perhaps most famously including that of Apollo Creed in the Rocky series, opposite Sylvester Stallone. He was also a memorable part of Predator and the Star Wars franchise. Sylvester Stallone remembers Carl Weathers and mourns a monumental loss View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sly Stallone (@officialslystallone) On Friday, Stallone took to Instagram to share his emotional reaction to the death of Weathers, with whom he starred in Rocky back in 1976, as well as its three sequels. It's a role he, in part, earned by auditioning opposite Stallone and insulting the latter's acting, leaving quite the perfect impression for the future Apollo. ROCKY IV, (aka ROCKY IV: ROCKY VS. DRAGO, aka ROCKY IV: ROCKY VS. DRAGO: THE ULTIMATE DIRECTOR'S CUT), Carl Weathers, in 2021 director's cut, 1985. © MGM /Courtesy Everett Collection RELATED: Arnold Schwarzenegger Talks About Aging And Losing His Body Shape "Today is an incredibly sad day for me," said Stallone in his video post. "I’m so torn up, I can’t even tell you. I’m just trying to hold it in because Carl Weathers was such an integral part of my life, my success — everything about it, I give him incredible credit and kudos. "Because when he walked into that room and I saw him for the first time, I saw greatness. But I didn’t realize how great," he continued, "I never could’ve accomplished what we did with Rocky without him." "He was absolutely brilliant," added Stallone. "his voice, his size, his presence, his athletic ability, but, most importantly, his heart, his soul. It’s a horrible loss. He was magic. I was so fortunate to be part of his life. Apollo, keep punching." Weathers left positive memories with everyone who worked with him https://twitter.com/Schwarzenegger/status/1753537935562231962 1987 saw Weathers as Colonel Al Dillon in Predator, this time opposite another action icon, Arnold Schwarzenegger. The day after Weathers's passing, Schwarzenegger took to social media to also pay his respects and remember Weathers as both a talented actor and an uplifting force to know. "Carl Weathers will always be a legend. An extraordinary athlete, a fantastic actor, and a great person," said Schwarzenegger alongside a photo of the two of them in a promotional image for Predator. "We couldn’t have made Predator without him. And we certainly wouldn’t have had such a wonderful time making it." "Every minute with him - on set and off - was pure joy," Schwarzenegger added in a follow-up post, "He was the type of friend who pushes you to be your best just to keep up with him. I’ll miss him, and my thoughts are with his family." Mariska Hargitay is one of many stars who remembers Carl Weathers as a great one / Instagram Weathers also joined the Law & Order: SVU family back in 2018 as State's Attorney Mark Jefferies, and his passing was mourned by series star Mariska Hargitay. Hargitay posted, "We lost a great one. God bless you." "Rest in power to a man that inspired me to do what I do," said Jamie Foxx in his own tribute post. "Every time I watched Rocky I always rooted for Apollo Creed… hearing of his passing, brought real tears to my eyes… God has just gained another angel." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jamie Foxx (@iamjamiefoxx) RELATED: Sylvester Stallone Receives Keys To Philadelphia Near Iconic Steps On Rocky Day